Egg-case filler.



P. MANDEVILLE.

EGG cAsE mm! A f APPLICAION FILED DEC. 1|. 1 913. l 1 84, 192 .Patented 23, 1916;

2 sH sHEE'T 1.

' P.MANDE UILLE.

EGG c'AsE mL-1ER. APPuc'moN man n'ec. u. ma.

PatentedMay 23,1916. l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

In web2 tof! Huggy v"terlocked, and wh board plates,

EGG-'case FILLER.

, k Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application led December 11, 1913. Serial N o. 805,920.

To aZ wlzom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL MAnDnvILLn, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Lake Bluff, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg-Case Fillers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to fillers for egg cases of the well-known type in which each unit is composed of a 'number of narrow strips of strawboard, or similar material, assembled to form a reticulated frame having rectangular spaces or compartments for individual eggs. The several strips are inen not inuse are collapsible, but when opened toreceive the eggs one series of parallel strips assume a position at right angles to another series of parallel strips, so that the egg compartments are rectangular in form. yUsually such units areV arranged to form thirty-six compartments. These fillers, when placed in an egg case, which is usually of wood, are disposed one on top of another with separating strawtechnically termed lfiatsl beand also at the top tween successive units,

as a whole, so that 1nd bottoni of the filler lthe eggs are not only separated from each other by the strawboard strips forming the separate units, but also by the intervening Hats. They are protected by the top and bottom flats. In the use of such egg case fillers, there is a considerable loss by breakage of eggs, dueto the accidental collapsing of the fillers, since the material of which they are made is so flimsy that it yields to lateral pressure comparatively easily, and inthe handling of egg cases this frequently occurs.

The object of my invention is to improve lthe construction of such fillers by providing means for holding the strips forming the separate umts more rigidly in their rectangular relation to cach other, thus providing a much more secure container for the eggs;

also to provide means for temporarily connecting together the several units assembled to make up the filler as a whole so as to make the assembled units more nearly integral with cach other and thereby give to the assembled units a certain rigidity, which very materially increases the eliiciency of the filler as an egg carrier.

A further object is to provide for ventilating the eggs while contained in the filler, which assists in their preservation.

I I accomplish these objects as illustrated in the drawings and as hereinafter described.

What I regard as new claims.

.In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a perspective view of an egg case filler, comprising three ller units with top and bottom flats and two intermediate flats. It will be understood that in practice any desired number of units may be employed, the number shown in the illustration being, for convenience, reduced below that usually employed; Fig. 2 is a detail, being a plan view showing a part of one fiat slit -to provide four lips, which, when in use, are bent at an angle to the body of the flat, as illustrated in Fig. 3, which is a perspective view showing one corner portion of a flat. Fig.

4 is a partial vertical cross-section of the upper portion of a filler showing the uppermost unit and a part of the next lower unit with the flats in operative position; Fig. 5 is a partial plan view showing one of the top or bottom flats in position, the flat in this case having lips arranged to engage every intersection of the filler strips; .and Fig. 6 is a similar View showing a top flat having lips which engage alternate intersections of the filler strips.

eferring to the drawings,7 8*9 indicate filler units, each of which is composed of two series of parallel strips which intersect each other forming rectangular intersections-10 when in operative position, as shown in the drawings.

11 indicates a top flat, 12 a bottom fiat and 13 intermediate Hats, which are adapted to be assembled as shown in Fig. 1, the intermediateV Hats 13 separating the several units from each other, while the top and bottom flats, respectively, cover the top and bottom of the filler as a whole. As best shown'in Figs. 2 and 8, the top and bottom flats are slit at a. number of points with cross-shaped slits 14, to form lips 15, which are Amaking the unit rigid Abe similar to each other,

vided with locking 2. These marginal lips may my improved the surface of the flat, as shown in Fig. 3. so placed that the lips 15, when bent into operative position, iit between the foiir corners formed at each intersection of the filler strips, in the manner shown in Fig. 1, so that they operate to hold such intersecting strips in their rectangular position,l thus and preventing it from collapsing accidentally.

If desired, the top and bottom flats may each being prolips which register with f the iiller strips,

every intersection o lips may trated in Fig. 5, but if preferred, be provided so as intersections, as shown in Fig. 6, in which case it is preferable to make the top and bottom flatsso that their respective lips alternate in position. lVhere the flats are not provided with lips which engage the filler strips adjacent to every intersection thereof, it is desirable to provide a pair of lips 16 at the center of each side margin, as shown in Fig. l, to add rigidity to the marginal portions of the unit, single separate slits being made at such points, as illustrated, instead of the cross-sliaped be provided at each intersection along the margins of the filler unit as shown in Fig. 6, and'in addition, in order to strengthen the corners of the unit, lips 19 may be provided at the corners of the flatsas'shown in said figure. Bv

extending the ends of the filler strips and tersection in the same way as at interme- 'diate intersections, thus further strengthening the marginal portions'of the units.

rI`he intermediate flats 13 are similar to the top and bottom flats, except that they are provided with alternatek upwardly and do-wnwardly-projecting lips 1718, so that such intermediate flats engage the units above them, as well as those below them. Thus they serve to inter-connect the several units making up the filler as a whole, and not only prevent the units from collapsing accidentally, but hold them in position with reference to each other. While it would be practicable, and advantageous as compared with the old style filler, to use two similar flats like the top and bottom flats, arranged back to back between successive units, instead of employing a single flat having the lips alternately projecting upward and downward, such construction would not possess the advantage Vof securing the several units together, and therefore prefer to employ intermediate flats constructed as shown in Fig. i. A further advantage of construction is that the openings foriiied by the heiidiiig of the lips provide for the ventilation of the eggs throughas illusto register with alternate f slits shown in F ig..

out the entire filler as a whole, which is advantageous for the reason already mentioned.

While the embodiment of my invention as illustrated and described contemplates the making of the locking devices by slitting the flats to foini lips, it will be obvious that equivalent locking devices may be made in various other ways, and the claims hereinafter made are, therefore, not to be restricted to the specific construction shown and described, eXcept in so vfar-as it is particularly claimed.

llVhat I claim as my invention, and desire i to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

`l. vThe combination with an egg case filler unit `composed of a vplurality of sets of intersecting strips, of aflat having lips adapted to engage certain of said fillerv strips adjacent to intersections thereof to hold the same inoperative position. j v

2. In combination with an egg-case filler unit composed ofY a plurality of setsy of intersecting strips, of a flat-having lips .fitting in between the corners formed by the intersecting strips and adapted to engage the sides of said filler strips adjacent the intersections thereof to i operative position.

`3. The combination with an egg case filler composed of a plurality of units, `each of said units comprising a plurality of sets of intersecting strips, of a flat having upwardly and downwardly-proj cting lips engaging the strips of the adjacent units for holding the same in position. Y

4e. An egg case filler, comprising a plurality of units, each composed of sets of strips adapted to be disposedvat right angles to each other, intermediate flats between successive units, said intermediate flats having upwardly and downwardly projecting lips engaging the strips of the adjacent units for holding them in operative relation to each other, and upper and lower flats at the top and bottoni, respectively, of said. filler, said upper flat having downwardly projecting of the top unit and said lower upwardly projecting Vlips strips of the lower unit for position. v

5. A iat for egg case fillers having intersecting strips, said fiat having integral lips bent at'an angle to the surface thereof and so formed and positioned as to fit in the corners formed at each intersection of the strips and adapted to engage the filler strips fiat having engaging the holding them in adjacent to the intersections thereof for holding the strips in position.

lips engaging the stripsY hold the fillerv strips in Hat and so positioned as to engage the filler formed by the `intersection of said strips, strips adjacent to the intersections thereof for maintaining the angular relation of sa1d.10

fog holding tigem in position. strips to each filler.

T e com ination with an egg case 11erv 5 unit composed of a plurality of intersect- PAUL MANDEVILLE' ing strips, of a latformed from a substan- Vitnesses: tially fiat sheet and having asubstantiall JOHN L. JACKSON, V-shaped lip projecting. into the ang e WILLIAM- A. FURNNER.V 

